When new Coach Jeremy Pruitt and his new blockbuster recruiting staff first took over, they threw a whole lot of offers out and cast an incredibly wide net. Taking advantage of existing relationships across not just the South but also as far as California, Tennessee hasn’t been afraid to go to head with programs like Alabama and USC and other blue bloods or be told no by elite players with whom they are simply too late. Pruitt created a large board from which to work from and signed a very highly regarded early signing class, especially when one considers he had less than two weeks to work.

At the same time, as we enter the stretch run to National Signing Day, it looks like we’ve seen them move on from a good number of guys they initially showed interest in:

S Nikko Hall

DL Caleb Okechukwu

DB Rayshad Willliams

WR Brandon Aiyuk

CB Richard McCreary

RB Mo Washington

RB Tavion Thomas

RB C’Bo Flemister*

DL Emmit Gooden **

* This one is less clear, but there is no doubt that Tennessee has slow played him to a degree while Notre Dame is showing him much more love – I wouldn’t be shocked to see him commit to the Irish weekend

**Gooden continues to have academic questions surrounding him, and with the limited spots available I don’t think the staff can afford to take him despite its relatively recent offer

In contrast,with only 5-6 spots scholarships to give, the staff has made it clear by its actions – in-home visits and scheduled official visits – that the following 18 are high priorities (some more than others, of course):

WR Jacob Copeland

WR Geordon Porter

WR Antoine Green and his cousin, RB Jashaun Corbin

WR Tre’shaun Harrison

WR Warren Thompson

OL Dylan Wonnum

OL Ryan Winkel

TE Glenn Beal

DL Coynis Miller

DL Malik Langham

DL John Mincey

DL Otito Ogbonnia

LB Quay Walker

CB Olaijah Griffin

CB Eddie Smith

CB Isaac Taylor-Stewart

S Trevon Flowers

This list will continue to thin more and more the next two weeks as Tennessee gets a better feel for whom they have a realistic chance -for instance, it seems like they have little traction with WRs Thompson and Harrison – and others simply come off the board or others take their spot. Ogbonnia and Flowers are two in particular who will be in Knoxville this weekend, and the staff will get a chance to size both of them up and at the same figure out where each fit into their plans and vice versa. But the above is probably a good working list for the next two weeks, although this staff has proven they will continue to beat the bushes such that another player could jump onto the board.